Jeremiah horak



J. HORAK.

AUTOMATIC LIFE SAVING DEVICE.

APPLICATiON HLED JULY 26. IBII.

1 ,306,011 Pan-11ml June 10, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Iv VEN T02 I 1 HORKK.

AUTOMATIC LIFE. SAVING DEVICE.

APPLlCATiON FILED IULYZB. 1917.

. 1,306,61 1, Patented June 10, 1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

I N VEEN TOl Q 4%ZM @y J. HQRAK.

AUTOMATIC LIFE SAViNG DEVICE. APPLICATIQN'HLED IULYZB. 1917.

Patented J une 10, 1919.

3 SHEETS- SHEET 3.

JEREMIAH HORAK, or CHICAGO, ILLInoIs.

AUTOMATIC LIFE-SAVING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 10, 1919.

Application filed July 26, 1917. Serial No. 182,936.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, JEREMIAH HoRAK, a

subjectof the Emperor of Austria, residing in the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Life-Saving Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to lifesaving devices, but more particularly to automatically operating collapsible or folding life-saving devices.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a comparatively small and compact device which is readily adapted for inflation by the direct action of water. Another object of the invention is to provide a coat or other suitable'wearing apparel which is arranged for automatic inflation by the action of water to afford life-saving means.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the combination, arrangement and provision of the members, parts and elements set forth in the speclflcation and shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out and falling within the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawings like reference characters indicate likeror corresponding parts;

Referring to the drawings which disclose several preferable forms of structure embodying my invention, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a life-saving device. Fig.

' 2 is a cross section taken on line 2-2 of Fig.

1 and Fig. 3' is an end elevation taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. form of my invention adapted for the use of compressed air. Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on line 55 of Fig. 4: and Fig. 6 is an end elevation taken on line 6-6 of Fig.

' 4:. Fig. 7 is also another form of my invention showing the application of same to wearing apparel, in this instance, to a coat. Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7, showing an inflatable member between the goods and lining of such coat. Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation taken on line 99 of Fig. 10 showing the form of construction of a gas generator suitable for the use in connection with the inflatable member of the coat shown in above Fig. 7. Fig. 10 is a plan view taken on line 1010 of Fig. 9;

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the structure comprises preferably a receptacle 15 including the casing 15 the interior of which is di- Fig. 4 is a modified vided into two compartments, an inflatable tube compartment 15 and a-gas generator compartment 15 The receptacle 15 is provided with a suitable hinged cover 15 to permit the discharge or passage of the folded inflatable tube 16 which is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and which is folded in any suitable manner and rolled in position within compartment 15 The end 16 is air sealed and the other end 16 is provided with a suitable connection 17 for attaching to the short tube 18 which has communication with the interior of the gas generating compartment 15 The receptacle 19 which is preferably formed of very thin glass or other suitable material is hermetically sealed and contains water or other liquid. Pivotally mounted at the open end of compartment 15 and to the partition wall 15, is a release disk 20 which is nicely fitted for rotation close to the wall 15. It will be observed that the disk 20 is provided with a raised central portion 20 which oflers a shoulder or bearing for the coil spring 21, one end of which spring is fixed to the raised portion at 20 and the other end of which spring is secured to a suitable clip 22 rigidly mounted within the compartment 15. -Normally the spring 21 is in tension and is retained from revolving the disk to release the plunger or ramrod 23 by means of a suitable member 40, which member, in this instance, is also attached to the clip 22 and to the portion 20.

One of the features of my invention is to provide such member 40 of very thin paper cord or any suitable material which would be quickly soluble by the action of water, thus breaking the member 4L0 and permitting the spring 21 to rotate the disk 20 so that the end 23 of the plunger 23 is released from the slotted supporting portion 20 and permitted to pass through the comparatively large circular opening 20 and, by the action of the coil spring 24, one end of which is fastened to the plunger 23 and the other end of which abuts against the wall 25, is forced forward with the head 23 against the inclined face 26 of the hammer 26 which is mounted at 26 to cause the liquid or other matter to co-mingle with the carbid 27 or other gas generating material. The gas thus generated by the union of water and carbid, or any other two or more gas generating elements, will then be permitted to pass through the tube 18 into the folded rubber or canvas tube 16 which when inflated will have sufficient buoyancy to sustain and suitably support the wearer in water.

It will be understood that the opening 20 V will be drawn sufliciently beyond the openingforthe plunger 23 Within the wall to close same and prevent escape of gas.

' In the modification shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 I have omitted the tube compartment 15 by simply wrapping the folded tube 16 around the cylindrical gas generating chamber 15 and have also preferred to show an application the plunger would act to open the valve 28 to permit the escape of coinpressed air or gas from the receptacle 19 into the, tube 16. I have also preferred in this case, to show a cover 30 provided with perforations 31 for the purpose of protecting the release mechanism. v

In the modifications shown in Figs; 7 and 8 I provide a coat 81 having a tubular inflatable member 32 between the lining33 and goods 31 5 Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate a gas generator particularly adaptable 'for llfe-savin'g sults or wearing apparel as the coat 31 above describedQ In this construetion, I provide two liquidv or gas receptacles 34: and oppositely mounted hammers '35 which, also in this case, arearranged to pierce the very thin walls 36 of the'interme- 40 diate carbid'chamber b7 and break the walls of theliquid receptacles 34, by'the wedging force of the plunger 23 A tube 38 conveys the gas to the inflatable member 32. 'It 'will be noted that the release disk 89 is similar to those above described except that the members 21 and 40 are rearranged with a suitable percussion cap, which upon ex-' ploding would render or generate a suitable gas adaptable for inflation, hence, I do not wish to limit myself to the exact form, construction, parts, or elements shown and described, except in so far as they are included within the terms ofthe "appended claim, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in the invention in a broad a manner as is permissible in View of the priorart. I-elaim:- 7. A life-saving device comprising a casing; a coiled inflatable member in said casing; a plurality of gas generating elements; acylindrical receptacle for one of said elements; a second cylindrical. receptacle mounted eceentrically within said-first named receptacle; and mechanism for causing a mingling of said elements within the first named receptacle to generate a gas: for said inflatable member, comprising a hammer mounted adjacent to saidsecond receptacle, and means for actuating said hammer ",IHGlIIdlI-Ig a spring-actuated plunger, said plunger having ahead, and means responsive to the action -:of water. for operating saidspringactuated plunger comprising a spring-actuated pivoted disk having an opening substantiallyv largerthansaid-plunger head and an. integral slot for normally retaining said head against spring pressure; and a cord adapted when severed to permit the rotation V of said disk to bring said openiiig'inalinenient with said head whereby said'plunger will be released to actuate said hammer and break said second receptacleto cause amingli'ng of said'el'ements, :7. 7

scribed mynamethis 1 9th day of Jnly. 1917. EREMIAH' HORAK;

' Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing-the Commissioner bf 'Pa-tents,

Washington, '1). e."

In witness whereofil have hereunto sub- ,7 

